VALENTINE NOVELLA; THE MARA SONG

Wakio an events coordinator at the Maasai Mara lodge falls in love with a guest. She plans a destination wedding meant to take place at the lodge not knowing that her prince charming is the groom;

“Wakio, this is Mr. Roberts.” Koinei introduced the both of us.

Mr. Roberts held onto his bag as Koinei tried to relieve him of it. But his puny hands were no match to his strong big hands. Yes I noticed the hands.

“Hallo, I’m Chris.” he pulled his shades off and stretched his hand towards me.

Immediately his face drew my attention. He didn’t look as hard as he did behind his shades. He was visually stunning there was no doubt about that, but what drew me to him even more were his soft brown eyes. I was memorizing the planes of his face and almost forgot to shake his hand. But Koinei’s squeaking voice pulled me out of my fantasy. I glanced at Koinei and realized that his height wasn’t his biggest let down with the women, it was his squeaky voice. It was like having a squeaking match with your little sister’s pet mouse.

“Hi,” I chocked out. “Welcome to the Maasai Royal Mara, bush elegance at its best. That’s what the brochure says at least.”

Chris laughed and the sound of it caressed my heart.

The nerves were kicking in and I knew the rumbling would start soon. I shook his hand and immediately a buzz seared through my body turning me into a heap of jelly. “You are the groom’s brother or cousin?” I was fishing. I cast my hopefully net into a sea filled with fish and hoped that I didn’t catch the groom.

Chris grinned then gave me a slight nod, a reluctant nod. I felt like he trying to be graceful, like I was overstepping the boundaries and he didn’t want to offend me. Immediately I tried to clear the misunderstanding. “The card says Jonathan.”

“Yes, you could say that he is part of me in a way.” He put his shades back on and his shoulders slumped, I could feel him pull away. I didn’t know him for more than a second but already I felt like he was hiding from the world, or just me.

“Maybe you should show him to his room. We can talk about the wedding in the morning. But you don’t have to worry everything is pretty much done.” I reassured.

“She will show you all the venues.” Koinei put in, “I’ll show you to your room.” The eager to please, beaver that he was started off only to be called back.

“Can she do it?” An embarrassed soft pink glow claimed his cheeks. Chris wanted to get away from the pigmy and I didn’t blame him.

“I would love to.” I grabbed the key out of Koinei’s hand and we left him still agape. “I’m surprised your ears are still whole.”

“He is quite chatty.” Chris said.

“You are too kind.” Koinei wasn’t chatty. He talked obsessively. His voice mirrored that of a fly or a mosquito buzzing around your ear chewing on every nerve you had.

“What do you think of the place? Disregarding everything you read on the brochure and were told to say during your orientation on your first day here?” Chris pushed his glasses over his head, pulling the stray hair away from his face. That was when I realized how kind he looked, a bit lost but still kind.

“That’s quiet easy.” I was back in my trance, “It’s beautiful. Every day I wake up, I feel like I walked into a dream. The trees, the animals and just the nothingness, it’s awesome.”